Methanol poisoning has killed at least six tourists in Laos – a British woman, two Australian teenagers, a 56-year-old American citizen and two Danish women in their 20s. A New Zealand citizen has also fallen ill. Several countries are now warning tourists about the fatal consequences of drinking tainted alcohol in the Southeast Asian country, even a small amount of which can prove lethal.
What is Methanol?
Methanol is similar to ethanol, the pure form of alcohol, and even looks and tastes like alcohol. It is also odourless, tasteless, and highly flammable, just like ethanol. It is also known as wood alcohol and has the same first effects as ethanol. However, methanol has a very different chemical structure which makes it unfit for human consumption.
However, it is an industrial chemical found in antifreeze and windshield washer fluid. It is also used to make solvents, pesticides, paint thinners, and alternative fuels.
Drinking methanol can make one feel sick and dizzy, just like regular alcohol. So people won’t suspect that something is wrong with their body. However, the problem begins hours later when the liver tries to break it down to clear it from the body.
Enzymes in the body metabolise methanol into formaldehyde. It is used to make industrial glue and embalming substances and then breaks it down into formic acid.
How does methanol enter alcoholic drinks?
In some parts of the world, methanol can find its way into alcoholic drinks for various reasons. Since it is cheaper than ethanol, sometimes it is mixed in to prepare counterfeit alcohol. It is bottled and sold at bars and shops.
It can occur in homemade alcohol as well, a practice prevalent across Southeast Asia. Methanol is triggered in the alcohol in large quantities when it is fermented and distilled without due measures.
How is methanol poisoning treated?
Countering the effects of methanol is not easy since it is hard to know that bootleg alcohol has been consumed. Experts say that the effects of methanol poisoning can be countered by using ethanol. However, this can only be done within the first 10 to 30 hours after consumption. It should be treated at a hospital and dialysis can be done to clean the blood.
Symptoms of methanol poisoning
Symptoms of methanol poisoning might appear similar to alcohol poisoning. One can feel nauseous and vomit, suffer from blurred vision, and loss of sight, and have problems looking at bright lights. It also causes abdominal and muscle pain; dizziness and confusion, besides fatigue.